New Start
by kuraokamiko
Summary: Ranma has had enough of the fights with Akane. May be continued in the future. OOC on a few characters, mainly Nabiki. Futuristic, after manga ends.


Written On: 12/17/00  
C&C is welcomed privately  
  
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New Start  
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All rights and privileges to Ranma 1/2 belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz   
Communications, Inc., and associated parties. The characters of her series are used   
without her permission for the purpose of entertainment only. This work of fiction is not   
meant for sale or profit.  
  
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Text:  
::= Thoughts  
_ _= Exaggerated Words  
* * *  
  
"In three years, can't you trust me a little more than that?!" Ranma yelled the familiar   
words, which seemed to be spoken more and more the past few months. The arguments   
never were resolved, just stalemated and intensified over it's break, only to erupted   
harsher.  
  
"I _know_ you were at Ukyou's!" Akane hollared, her eyes blazing with a fury. "Even   
_she_ admitted you went by!! How am I supposed to have faith in you when you   
_constantly_ cheat behind my back?!"  
  
Ranma narrowed his eyes, taking a long step towards her, "I have _not_ cheated!!   
Ukyou's my friend!! For crying out loud, she's engaged to _Ryoga_!"  
  
"Oh, _sure_!" The youngest Tendo crossed her arms over her chest, an unconvinced look   
on her face, "So why'd you hug her and kiss her?"  
  
He tightened his jaw, clenching his hands into fists by his sides, "I _hugged_ her as a   
congradulations for the engagement, and the kiss was on the _cheek_!"  
  
"Yeah right!" She yelled into his face, making him wince.  
  
"Akane, would it hurt you to trust me for once?!"  
  
"If you gave me a reason to trust you in the first place, I might!" She turned on her heel,   
walking towards the front door. She grabbed her keys before she shut the door firmly   
behind her, leaving her fiance alone in the house.  
  
The pigtailed youth sat at the dining table, hands clasped together and tucked under his   
chin. His normally cheerful blue eyes were dull and full of weariness. He closed his   
eyes and ran his hands through his hair, letting out a tired sigh. :Three years... it should   
be enough...: Again, as it so happened on many occasions, he wished that the eldest   
daughter of Soun Tendo was there. He could talk to her about a subject not related to his   
problem, and it helped. He couldn't push his problems onto anyone else, especially not   
for his own sake. But since Kasumi became Dr. Tofu's assistant, the fights were more   
common from the added tension and it was weighing heavily on him.  
  
Things had only gotten worse since the Saffron battle. Xian Pu was still around, but   
didn't hound him much except as a friend. He still had his sparring matches with Mu Tzu   
and Ryoga, the Kunos still being Kunos. His father and Soun were in a meeting with the   
police about Happousai and Nabiki was working late again.  
  
He was tired. Tired of the pointless fighting, of the distrust, the problems... He didn't   
even know if it was worth it anymore.  
  
"Hey, Saotome."  
  
He looked up as he heard his name called and gave a small smile, "Evening, Nabiki."  
  
The Ice Queen of Furinken was leaning in the doorway to the dining room with her arms   
crossed in front of her ches, watching him intently. Silently, she strolled into the room   
and sat across from him, "It's almost two in the morning. You would have been asleep a   
long time ago, Saotome. Where's Akane?"  
  
He shrugged, lowering his eyes to the table, "I don't know."  
  
"Oh, another fight," she whispered, almost apologetic.  
  
"Ranma..." she paused, her tongue unfamiliar with the name rolling off her tongue. "...   
Akane told me a long time ago..." she smirked to herself, "Well, it felt like a long time   
ago. She said you told her you loved her. Do you mean it? Now, I mean?"  
  
The Saotome heir frowned, mulling over the question. "Well... look at it from my point   
of view. This is the first place in a long time that I could call a home. I never really grew   
up knowing about love, and the few examples I had is all I had to go on. I care deeply for   
Akane, I want to protect her... and if that's love, then I also love Ukyou, Shampoo,   
Kasumi, even you."  
  
Nabiki nodded, "You love us more like a brother. That's not the kind of love you should   
base a marriage on. And it would hurt you both."  
  
"I know that, but it's--"  
  
"--family honor." they finished in union. She sighed, looking at the clock. "I should have   
pointed this out to you this sooner."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
She turned her coffee brown eyes to meet back to blue, "The engagement. What proof do   
we have that it's real other than the word of two men who were so drunk at the time that   
they actually considered it?" She didn't give him time to speak, "Nothing. Not one stupid   
thing to prove it really happened. Just a verbal agreement between two drunk friends.   
Now tell me, should a vow with nothing but liquer behind it really be a matter of family   
honor?"  
  
He scratched his neck under the pigtail, forcing a grim frown, "I guess not. But we don't   
have any other choice. Mom would kill me if--"  
  
"Nodoka is a smart woman, Ranma. I think if we pointed this out, she'd reconsider it."   
She broke in.  
  
He paused, then continued, "And my old man!"  
  
She raised an eyebrow, eyes disbelieving, "Saotome, if you obey whatever that panda   
tells you, then I'm more worried about your head than the engagement."  
  
"Then what'm I s'pose to do?" Ranma mumbled miserably. He buried his face into his   
hands, missing the smile that Nabiki gave him.  
  
"Ranma." She leaned back, hands holding her ankles while her legs were crossed, "I   
came home pretty tired." As she spoke, she closed her eyes.  
  
"Oh, I'm so-"  
  
"I didn't really see you when I came in. In fact, I didn't see you at all, and I went to   
sleep." She continued as though she had never been interrupted. She re-opened her eyes,   
tilting her head to the side, "So, if in the morning everyone finds out you left, leaving a   
goodbye note, I wouldn't be able to tell them where you went. And if in your note you   
don't leave any clues as to where you might have gone, I can't track you down if my   
family persists." She watched his eyes widened and prepared herself for the stubborn   
conversation about to start.  
  
"You want me to abandon the pact?!"  
  
She leaned over, gazing hard into his eyes, "Ranma, like I said. The pact has no real   
grounds. You have free reign to leave it when you want to! Unless they show proof to   
you that it is legal and truthful, you can leave. I'm not blind, I can see the arguments   
really hitting you hard, if you admit it or not. If you don't leave soon, someone is going   
to seriously get hurt and while I think of you as somewhat a friend, I don't want you or   
my sister to get hurt. I'm giving you a chance and this might be the last time it can come   
up."  
  
He bit his lover lip, silent as he considered the option. He took a deep breath, "Where   
can I go where they won't find me?"  
  
"Think of all the places they might find you... and don't go there." She remarked. "Go   
someplace where they would never suspect you to go to." She frowned, folding her hands   
on top of one another, "Don't take any more of this, Ranma."  
  
The two stayed silent as they stared at each other for many minutes. Finally, she stood   
up, putting a hand on her hip, "Think it over, Ranma. Good night." She left the room and   
headed up to her room, leaving the pigtailed teen alone with his thoughts. A few minutes   
later he heard her door shut. He bit into his knuckles as he debated the idea to himself.  
  
Sure, it isn't the first time the idea of leaving presented itself, but he always shrugged it   
off. Besides, Akane usually found out before he had a chance to really leave and she   
would promise it would get better. It never did, and he had given her more than a fair   
chance. He nodded his head, knowing his decision.  
  
Akane laughed harshly, almost disbelieving as she read a letter that morning, "He   
wouldn't dare! Honor means everything to him! No way would he abandon his   
responsibilities like this! I bet he's in the park or something!!"  
  
Soun was crying pools of tears while Genma yelled about his 'ungrateful son'. Nabiki   
smiled to herself, not letting it grace her face. :I'm proud of ya, Ranma.:  
  
"Nabiki, could you help me with breakfast, please?" Kasumi's voice floated in from the   
kitchen. The middle daughter was surprised, but rose to help. As she helped her sister   
fill the plates, Kasumi spoke up, "Thank you for helping Ranma."  
  
"Huh?!"  
  
Kasumi smiled at her, "Ranma called me this morning before I came over to visit. He   
couldn't wake you up, so he told me to tell you thanks."  
  
"Did he say where he was going?" Nabiki asked. :I'm glad he didn't leave me a note. It   
would'uv looked suspicious. Very smooth move, Saotome.:  
  
The eldest daughter shook her head as she picked up some of the plates, "No, but he said   
good-bye, at least."  
  
"Yeah..." With a silent agreement not to betray his trust, they entered the dining area with   
no hint of what they discussed.  
  
"You be careful, you hear?" Ukyou said for the umpth time to her best friend. "And if   
you run into any trouble, just give a call and I'll help out!"  
  
Ranma smiled, "Thanks, Ucchan!"  
  
"Ranma be careful." Xian Pu ordered, handing him a bento. "Ukyou and Xian Pu make   
good snack."  
  
Khu Lon nodded her head to the man, "You be careful, Son-in-law."  
  
The pigtailed boy rolled his eyes, sighing, "You'll never stop calling me that, will you?"  
  
"No," the elder laughed to herself. "Just take care."  
  
"Aw, you know me!"  
  
In unison, the three women murmured in unconvinced voices, "That's what we're worried   
about." He gave them a face, and waved to then before he boarded the ship. It was going   
to be a long travel to China, but he had all the time he needed now. He felt like a heavy   
burdon was taken from his shoulders, and, for once in many years, the future looked a   
little better.  
  
~Owari  
  
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Author's Note: Yeah, a little weird, futuristic, and after the manga finished. It's odd, I   
don't think I've ever really written a fic like this before. This might be a oneshot, or it   
might turn into a continuation. We'll just see what the people say, ne? Well, I hoped you   
enjoyed, and please give me any C&C that you feel like giving. Arigatoo! 


End file.
